Storm victim baffled by ROOFS grant mix-up

Angella Allen was filled with excitement when she learnt during a ceremony in February that she was one of several persons selected for a $500,000 grant under a special Government-funded initiative, the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) programme.

The initiative, which falls under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), is a $10-billion programme to repair homes that were damaged by Melissa, the powerful Category 5 hurricane that made landfall in Jamaica last October.

It offers tiered grants starting from $75,000, for minor damage, to $500,000, for severe verified damage to homes.

Allen, who is from Claremont in Hanover, was presented with an oversize ceremonial cheque depicting her grant of ‘$500,000’ during the ceremony at the Anglican Church Hall in Lucea on February 25.

The shopkeeper, whose home was totally destroyed by the hurricane, became an overnight sensation after videos and pictures from the ceremony made national headlines. In one video posted on the MLSS website, she beamed about the grant and thanked the Government for the gesture.

“Oh my God, I was so happy. I said ‘yes, I am going to get myself back on track now’,” she told The Gleaner yesterday, recounting her first thoughts after learning that she was selected for the grant.

But that excitement turned to confusion when a text message from the authorities to officially notify Allen of the grant signalled that it was $200,000 and not $500,000 as she was told or as indicated on the ceremonial cheque.

“I said ‘No, I just received a $500,000 cheque, so how come?’”

She said officials from the National Insurance Scheme, who were also at the ceremony, assured her that the issue would be resolved.

But, nearly two months later and with the expiration date for the grant looming, Allen said there has been no explanation or resolution, forcing her to use the $200,000 to purchase building materials and start repairing her house.

“So, I am all over social media saying thanks for $500,000 which I have not received,” she said.

Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr confirmed to The Gleaner that Allen participated in the presentation ceremony and took a picture with a $500,000 ceremonial cheque.

However, he said, the Hanover shopkeeper received her voucher for $200,000 while at the event “and was engaged by the MLSS team who confirmed the value of her grant and advised regarding next steps”.

The responses did not explain why she had the $500,000 ceremonial cheque.

The minister explained that actual disbursements under the ROOFS programme are determined “strictly” by verified damage assessments and are communicated directly to beneficiaries through official channels, which includes SMS text messages.

“In this instance, the beneficiary received official communication outlining the approved amount based on the verified level of damage and that remains the basis for all payments under the programme,” Charles Jr said.

Allen’s case was among several concerns the parliamentary opposition People’s National Party raised with the ROOFS programme during a press conference in St Andrew yesterday.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding, in a stinging rebuke, said the Government’s primary programme to address what he describes as the “shelter crisis” caused by Hurricane Melissa is “hopelessly inadequate and is being incompetently administered”.

He said, during the last quarter of the 2025 when Jamaica was “inundated” with relief supplies and other forms of assistance from local and overseas non-government organisations, “things were appearing to be on track for recovery”.

“However, that time has passed and the glaring gaps in Jamaica’s response to the disaster have been laid bare,” Golding said.

“The Government has dropped the ball and the people of Jamaica and the economy of Jamaica are suffering as a result of the Government’s ineptitude in managing the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa,” Golding said.

But Charles “strongly rejected” the criticisms, pointing to the scale, structure and pace of implementation of the programme.

“ROOFS is one of the most structured disaster recovery interventions ever implemented in Jamaica,” he said, adding that the ministry has already completed 110,000 household assessments and continues to scale operations to meet demands.

Noting that the programme has “not stalled or stopped”, Charles said the ministry continues to verify assessments of potential beneficiaries who have self-reported while providing updates for those requesting information about the status of their claims.

He disclosed, too, that the ministry will be requesting additional funds to pay out to remaining beneficiaries while insisting that no eligible verified beneficiary has been left without payment.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com